Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2023, the German Interior Ministry has reported that 90 Russian men of military age have been granted asylum in the country. This information comes as per a recent report from the German news outlet, RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland (RND), which elaborated upon a response the ministry gave to a question from lawyer and Bundesdag member Clara Bünger.
The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees, according to RND, has received nearly 3,500 applications for asylum from Russian citizens, many of whom are attempts to escape conscription. Of these applications, around 1500 have been settled, with approximately 1000 being diverted to other countries as part of the EU’s Dublin Regulation, due to Germany not being the first EU country landed in by many Russian citizens.
Bünger has been a steady advocate for Russian conscientious objectors and deserters, pushing for their protection since as early as March 2022, just one month post the Russian invasion. In September 2022, she made a public statement in the Bundesdag to express her support for offering them humanitarian visas.
Germany’s asylum process for Russian objectors has been criticized for its lack of clarity and consistency. A German advocacy organization condemned the government for the rejection of a 40-year-old Russian man’s asylum application due to his age, despite a new Russian law that allows for the conscription of men up-to the age of 65 years.
In the first three months of 2023 alone, Germany had received approximately 2,400 asylum applications from Russian citizens, which is a significant increase from the estimated 2850 applications received in the entire period of 2022. Coinciding with these numbers is the large-scale emigration of Russians post the Ukraine invasion, estimated to be between 800,000 and 900,000, as reported by The Economist.